Nightlight
by SaraEsmerlin
Summary: Even as a child Terra had big dreams, although his problems were much smaller and the available comfort much simpler.


"One more, one more!"

Little Terra, sitting in his bed, balled up his cover in his tiny hands and looked pleadingly at Eraqus with big blue eyes as he put away the book of fairytales. He didn't want to go to sleep just yet, not when there were so many exciting stories left to hear and so many more kingdoms to be saved.

"Terra, no whining."

"Please? Just one more, pleeaaase?"

Eraqus chuckled as he turned around and patted the boy on his head, making his hair messier than it already was before.

"No, that's enough for today. You need rest so that you can keep up with your training tomorrow. And if we read them all tonight there won't be any left to read later."

Terra pouted, but he knew Eraqus was right. To become a keyblade master he needed training, and to be able to train he needed to sleep, and to be able to sleep he couldn't read stories. Or listen to them, as he still wasn't completely fluent in reading yet.

"Okaaay."

He dropped his head and sighed dramatically, as if agreeing was a huge sacrifice on his part. Then, facing Eraqus again, with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes Terra leaned forward eagerly.

"But can you read more tomorrow, like this?"

"Of course, as long as it doesn't distract you from your training."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

After having made Eraqus promise to read more from the book the following evening a few more times, Terra giggled sleepily and yawned while scooting down in his bed. Eraqus tucked him in and lifted little Aqua up from her blanket on the floor, where she had fallen asleep earlier during the story. He carefully placed her head on his shoulder as he turned off the light in Terra's room. He was about to exit and close the door when he heard the boy's voice in the almost complete darkness.

"I'm gonna be a keyblade master just like you, and then I can save people from dragons and baddies just like in the stories."

Eraqus smiled as he met the eyes of the little boy, illuminated by his nightlight, and then closed the door.

Terra lay on his side in his bed, blinking with heavy eyelids at his nightlight, as he thought about the story Eraqus had told him. Well, him and Aqua really. But Aqua had fallen asleep so it didn't count because she hadn't heard the end, in which the hero saved the day, and what was the point of a story if you didn't get to listen to a happy ending? Terra liked the stories where the brave heroes had to go on quests to save the kingdom, or a sibling, or someone in need. Stories where they faced dangerous challenges and obstacles that they had to overcome, and where they had to complete difficult tasks or fight terrible monsters until they finally won. The kingdom was saved, the spell was lifted and the darkness driven away. Everyone was happy.

Terra wanted to be like that, and like Master Eraqus too of course! He wanted to become strong and brave, someone that others could depend on in the face of danger. Burrowing his head further down into the pillow, Terra smiled. It was one of those smiles that would remind an onlooker of a particular treat they had had as a child, one of those treats that melted on their tongues and whose flavour still haunted their memories years later as a warm embrace that had become associated with Home. Or perhaps they would just have seen it for what it was, the smile of a sleepy child with pleasant dreams of the future calling to them from beneath their eyelids.

Not that any such thoughts mattered one bit to Terra as he contemplated switching off his nightlight for the first time. Master Eraqus was brave. The heroes in the stories were brave. They didn't keep a nightlight because they were scared of the dark when they were going to sleep. Terra wanted to be brave too. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the switch, his little fingers slipping slightly on the button. Then something moved in the corner by the closet! No. No. Terra let go of the breath he had held, there was nothing there at all. He was just being silly imagining things, of course there was nothing there, if there was Eraqus would've taken care of it already.

Terra let go of the switch and pulled his hand under the cover again. Perhaps it was silly to keep a nightlight, but he decided that the worlds weren't in a desperate need of him yet so he could continue being silly for a little longer. Pleased with this conclusion Terra finally shut his eyes and allowed himself to drift of to sleep, the worlds would be waiting for him when he had become braver. They would wait until he had become brave enough to sleep without his nightlight. But for now it continued to shed its soft light upon his sleeping face, cheeks still round with baby fat as they twitched in delight while he dreamed of the hero he would become.


End file.
